Bolsonaro Government Used Me As Excuse, Says Former Justice Minister Moro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil’s former Minister of Justice Sérgio Moro said in an interview with the British newspaper Financial Times that the government of Jair Bolsonaro used his presence in the cabinet as an excuse to demonstrate that anti-corruption measures were being implemented. The ex-Minister said that the government was not doing much, and that this agenda has suffered setbacks since 2018 when Bolsonaro was elected.

“One of the reasons I left the government was that not much was being done (for the anti-corruption agenda),” Moro told the paper. “They were using my presence as an excuse, so I left. The anti-corruption agenda has been suffering setbacks since 2018.”

The Financial Times recalled that Moro’s exit was marked by his accusations of Bolsonaro’s political interference in the Federal Police. An inquiry at the Supreme Court is investigating the former Minister’s statements.

Moro commented that corruption cannot be fought without respecting the law and institutions. “He changed the director of the Federal Police without asking my opinion and without a good reason. I don’t think you can fight corruption without respecting the law and institutions’ autonomy to investigate and report crimes.”

Moro also commented on Bolsonaro’s approach to the Centrão, the “controversial party bloc known for offering support in exchange for political positions,” according to the newspaper. “At first, the government seemed to be avoiding this kind of practice, but today I am not so sure.”

Last week, Estadão newspaper reported that one of the reasons why Centrão members teamed up with Bolsonaro is precisely for fear of Moro’s potential presidential candidacy in 2022.

Without their own candidate in the right-wing or even in the center-right, the Centrão group fears that a potential detachment from Bolsonaro will strengthen the ex-Minister’s election should the President have his mandate interrupted or in 2022. When he was the Lava Jato judge, Moro was a scourge of several of the Centrão’s leaders.

The ex-Minister also commented on the leaked messages attributed to him to prosecutors of Operation Lava Jato, when he was serving as a federal judge in Curitiba. The messages released by The Intercept Brasil “harmed the operation’s reputation,” according to the ex-Minister. “I do not recognize the authenticity of those messages. There was nothing there that could compromise the case,” Moro said.

Source: Estadão Conteúdo

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